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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27894121">Lovable Nightmare</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaesterChill/pseuds/MaesterChill'>MaesterChill</a>, <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/timothysboxers/pseuds/timothysboxers'>timothysboxers</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst and Fluff, Auror Harry Potter, Blended family, Established Relationship, Family Feels, Fluff, Kids, M/M, Nightmares, Pets, Post-Hogwarts, Potions Professor Draco Malfoy, Tambourines, Torture, movies - Freeform</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 09:34:21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,269</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27894121</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaesterChill/pseuds/MaesterChill, https://archiveofourown.org/users/timothysboxers/pseuds/timothysboxers</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A strange dark clan has captured Harry Potter, determined he has something they want, and it seems they’ll go to any lengths to get it.<br/>Find out Harry’s fate, and more importantly, what will happen to his breakfast if the Kneazles get their paws on it.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>53</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Squee Squad Birthday Gifts</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Lovable Nightmare</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/Erin_Riwen/gifts">Erin_Riwen</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Happy Birthday Suzi! </p>
<p>We hope you're enjoying yourself today, and that this journey to blended-family-fluff-town brings you some smiles. Or a few Kneazles and a mid-day movie.</p>
<p>Huge thanks to <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/sassy_cissa/">Betsy | sassy_cissa</a> for encouraging us and <em>down-to-the-wire</em> beta work.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Harry's breath was knocked clean out of him as he hit the ground, hard. <em>What the hell—?</em></p>
<p>"Submit!" a voice screeched.</p>
<p>"Oi!" Harry's voice came out thick and muffled. "What's going on?"</p>
<p>Harry reached for his wand, but it wasn't there where it was supposed to be, snug and secure in its holster. He tried to remember when he'd last used it. What he was doing before the spell hit him. Who the perpetrator even was. His mind was such a jumble, thoughts coming sluggishly. He couldn't remember what his mission was, or how he'd got here. Wherever here was.</p>
<p><em>Had he been obliviated?</em> Merlin, this was the last bloody thing he needed.</p>
<p>And it was dark. So dark. The air felt stuffy. Claggy, almost.</p>
<p>Twisting his body, he found he could barely move. Invisible bonds had been spelled across his thighs, chest and right arm, pinning him where he lay. A sickly, cloying smell filled his nostrils. Smoky and sweet.</p>
<p>Another voice: "There is no escape. You <em>will</em> give us what we seek."</p>
<p>"I don't— I can't— I don't know what you want!" Harry racked his brains again trying to remember his movements up to this point.</p>
<p>Biting cold air rushed over him, and the hair on his arms, legs and scalp rose up in protest. He felt stripped bare. Exposed. A fierce shiver tore through him, an icy chill that seeped into his blood and bones. He thought of his family, hoped desperately they were safe.</p>
<p>Harry struggled against the restraints, causing his captors to laugh, hysterical and high pitched.</p>
<p>"Tell us where it is," one of them hissed. "Do not try to deceive us. We know it was you."</p>
<p>"You're wrong, I don't—"</p>
<p>"You leave us no choice." A pause. "Father... do your worst."</p>
<p>Harry braced in anticipation, waiting for a blow from some madman called 'Father', clearly the head of this creepy Dark clan. Moments passed like eternities. Desperate, he tried a wandless <em>Protego</em> but the words wouldn't form in his mouth. A cacophony of laughter and expectant banging erupted around him, and the world tilted and jolted violently. Harry's whole body tensed against the sudden movements. His mind caught the end of a spell, scarcely audible above the intensifying din.</p>
<p>
  <em>"—sempra!"</em>
</p>
<p>A jet of silver light shot through the darkness and hit him square in the chest. Harry's body buckled under the intense sensations, and he began to wheeze uncontrollably. Tears welled up in his eyes as he tried to catch a breath. The maniacal laughter rang out once again.</p>
<p>He thrashed again, fighting against the invisible restraints binding him. Needle sharp sensations jabbed his armpits, his ribs, his belly, relentless and unforgiving. He was vaguely aware of a discordant clinking, rhythmic and hellish.</p>
<p>Breath came in wheezing gasps punctuated by his own whining wails. His whole body ached and a strange, giddy feeling surged through him.</p>
<p>"Make it stop!" he managed to cry, though his skin was prickling and crawling and his limbs were wracked with spasms.</p>
<p>Irrationally he began laughing as the sensations ceased and the darkness abated, and gradually a bleary vision presented itself.</p>
<p>Still snickering, he wiped his eyes with his free hand to see...</p>
<p>...</p>
<p>...three grinning faces. James, Albus, and Scorpius, <em>sitting on him</em>. Jamie straddling his legs, Al squashing his stomach uncomfortably with his bony bum, and Scorp kneeling on his right arm, still prodding at the soft flesh of his elbow. And, Merlin, there was Lily on the ground with the duvet wrapped around her legs, shaking a tambourine and cackling merrily.</p>
<p>"You... utter... toerags!" Harry gasped out between involuntary snorts and shudders; the tickling hex had been <em>strong</em>. "I was fast asleep! Thought I was being tortured by dark wizards." Realisation filtered through the escaping remnants of his dream.</p>
<p>"And you!" He pointed at the figure leaning oh-so casually against the doorframe, eyes crinkled with mirth, dressed in the green silk dressing gown Harry bought him last Christmas. "You know I've got the tickles, <em>Mister </em>Potter-Malfoy. That was just bloody rude."</p>
<p>"Language, dad!" Al chided, covering Harry's mouth with his hand.</p>
<p>Draco laughed harder, bending at the waist and gripping the doorframe.</p>
<p>"What do you expect after jumping on me, pulling off the blankets, and bouncing around raising a hellish ruckus ... and hexing me!?"</p>
<p>Al frowned, wagging a finger in Harry's face. "It was an emergency. We couldn't find the remote for the telly. Father said you had it last."</p>
<p>Well, that was true.</p>
<p>Harry had stayed up late after Draco went to bed, wanting to see the end of a 'Foil, Arms and Hog' sketch comedy special. He'd been to see the comedy trio live when he visited Dublin for Seamus's thirtieth birthday—<em>they're gas craic</em>, Seamus had said, and he'd been right—and now he always made sure to catch their TV shows whenever they were on. Draco had been tired from marking end of term assignments so stumbled off to bed early, but Harry had been still buzzing from the conclusion of a sting operation—a rather successful one too, he might add.</p>
<p>"We wanted to watch the... the Aussie Wizard movie!" wailed Lily.</p>
<p>Harry looked at her, puzzled. "I'm not sure I know that one, Lily-bear."</p>
<p>"Father said it was your <em>favourite </em>and that you watched it at the Muggle <em>cinna-marr</em> on your first date," said Scorpius.</p>
<p>"Ahh," smiled Harry. "I think I know the one you mean. The Wizard of Oz!"</p>
<p>"Oh <em>yeah</em>," said Lily. "The Wizard. Of. OZ!" punctuating her words with shakes of her tambourine.</p>
<p>Harry recalled that date clearly. Draco had never been to the pictures before, and the adorable cinema on Regent Street was having a technicolour nostalgia night. It was the perfect opportunity to share a secret part of his childhood—something small and personal, something the tell-all books wouldn't know, something just for Draco to know about him and no one else. He'd told Draco how he loved the fantasy of being swept away from his monochrome life to a crazy, colourful world, where it was okay to be a bit different, to be <em>missing </em>something: a heart, a brain, courage... or in his case, a family that loved you. Though... back then he'd not have tried <em>quite </em>so hard as Dorothy did to get home. Thankfully things were very different now. Draco had enjoyed the film a lot; though Harry had enjoyed Draco's mild indignation at the Muggles' depiction of magic much, much more.</p>
<p>Harry arched an eyebrow at his family. "And between five of you, you couldn't muster a Summoning charm?"</p>
<p>"Now, where would be the fun in that, sleepyhead?" Draco smiled fondly. "Besides, they want to watch it <em>with us</em>."</p>
<p>Harry huffed. "Well, I'm not getting up. Saturdays are my only lie-in of the week."</p>
<p>Harry always brought the kids to the Burrow early on a Sunday (Molly would have had his head on one of her pewter platters if he didn't). And so Sunday was when Draco usually had <em>his </em>lie-in. They weren't playing <em>fair</em>.</p>
<p>"I've made orange and cinnamon sugar French toast with smoked bacon" said Draco, "but I suppose I shall just have to give the last of it to Samwise and Frodo."</p>
<p>Okay, now they <em>really </em>weren't playing fair.</p>
<p>He looked around at the children's faces. James' hopeful expression tugged at Harry's heart; at eleven years old, James was at that funny age where he didn't always want to spend time with his younger siblings, nor with the grown-ups, and so Harry had grown to cherish the moments when he relaxed and let himself just be a kid. Albus was scowling at Harry—<em>of course</em>, but to be fair, that was just Albus's face—and Scorpius was giggling, which was also pretty standard for him. Lily was wide-eyed and grinning and bouncing a bit. <em>Well</em>, Harry supposed... he was awake now, wasn't he?</p>
<p>And, he realised, Draco was turning and about to leave the room...</p>
<p>"Ok, ok, wait, I'm getting up! Those two naughty Kneazles are not getting my breakfast... <em>again</em>!!"</p>
<p>Harry heaved himself up to a sitting position causing Scorpius and Al to yelp as they tumbled sideways onto the mattress.</p>
<p>"You're not still sore about them eating your peach parfait three weeks ago, are you?" Draco rolled his eyes. "Your <em>very urgent </em>fire-call that morning made me late for a meeting with the Headmistress while you bemoaned your lost breakfast <em>and </em>demanded a fresh batch of Kneazle Knock-Off spray. Good grief."</p>
<p>"Everyone <em>knows </em>Samwise loves yoghurt, dad," said a muffled Lily from under the duvet she was valiantly trying to carry back to the bed. "It was your own fault for not coming down when we shouted."</p>
<p>"Yeah dad," James added, finally shuffling off Harry's legs.</p>
<p>"Tormented!" Harry exclaimed. "Tormented in my own home. Lowest in the pecking order after a Potions Professor, four children, and two striped Kneazles!"</p>
<p>"C'mon, dad," Al sniggered. "You're forgetting about Dolores."</p>
<p>Harry rolled his eyes. How could he have forgotten about James's toad? He'd tried to persuade the boy to choose an owl to take to Hogwarts, but James had fallen in love with the squat creature with its dour mouth and speckled hide, and after that there was nothing to be done for it except pay the requisite sum of Galleons. And actually, James was only just back from his first term, so Harry supposed the poor warty thing had been out of sight and out of mind.</p>
<p>"Yes," he laughed, ruffling Al's mop of curls. "Dolores, too." At least James had accepted Draco's suggestion of a name; wicked really, but worth it—according to his husband—to see Minerva's open glee when she'd heard.</p>
<p>Draco walked over to Harry and planted a kiss on his forehead. Draco's silk dressing gown gaped as he bent down revealing Harry's favourite sight: his husband in tight boxer briefs. Even after all their time together, there was just something about the way clothes clung to his form that never failed to stir feelings of heat and intensity in him. Harry inhaled sharply, smelling citrus and coffee, and his mouth watered. And as a matter of fact, his own pants were getting pretty tight, and he needed a minute.</p>
<p>Between his own work and their four children, the feeling of <em>not enough time for 'us' </em>was real—even before Draco had started teaching at Hogwarts. Draco had been home now for three full days, and they'd still not managed more than a few interrupted kisses.</p>
<p>"Right, kids!" Harry said decisively. "If you all go check those animals aren't eating our breakfast, we'll be down in two shakes of a Niffler's tail, and we'll find that remote. Then we can all watch The Wizard of Oz together... <em>with </em>our breakfast."</p>
<p>James, Albus and Scorpius launched for the door, arms flailing as they elbowed each other out of the way, shouting after the Kneazles. Lily quickly untangled herself from the duvet and leapt up after them, enthusiastically shaking her tambourine as she went and shimmying to the beat.</p>
<p>"So," Draco said, sitting next to Harry on the bed, "you're still getting those nightmares, then?". He looked worried. And in fairness to him, Harry did used to get the most horrific nightmares, but they'd not been so bad the last year or so. Harry put an arm around Draco's slender waist and pulled him closer, running his nose along the soft skin under his ear. He loved this man so much.</p>
<p>"Mmhmm," Harry said into the delicate crook of Draco's throat. "You were an evil dark gang leader, hellbent on torturing me with tickling spells."</p>
<p>"Oh, is that so?"</p>
<p>Harry looked up at Draco, whose concerned expression had cleared, lips quirked up in amusement. He kissed one corner of Draco's mouth, and then the other. "Yep. A dastardly tickling overlord."</p>
<p>"I see." Draco pushed Harry back down onto the bed. Harry liked where this was going.</p>
<p>"Terrorised me, you did," Harry pouted.</p>
<p>"A-ha." Draco was on top of him now and his dressing gown was open all the way, revealing an expanse of skin as pale as the inside of a red apple. "I keep telling you I'm evil,"—Draco trailed his fingers along Harry's torso, ever so lightly; it tickled like <em>fuck</em>, but Harry tensed and bore it—"and that I'm <em>up to something</em>,"—his finger pads travelled lower, along the vee of his hips, and Harry couldn't help a whimper—"but you <em>refuse </em>to listen. So,"—Draco plucked at the waistband of Harry's pants, a lascivious smile creeping onto his face—"I shall just have to—"</p>
<p>Draco stopped as several loud bangs and a chorus of cheers resounded from downstairs. The smile fell from his face. He rested his head on Harry's shoulder and an exasperated sigh escaped his mouth. "It really, <em>truly</em>, never stops, does it?"</p>
<p>"And to think," Harry laughed, "you were mental enough to take on three more, just because you love me." The waistband of Harry's pants slapped loudly against his hip and he yelped.</p>
<p>A dull thud shuddered through the house and Draco winced. "You Potters are a special kind of chaos, that's for sure."</p>
<p>"A lovable nightmare?" Harry ventured.</p>
<p>"A lovable nightmare," Draco concurred. "Now, let's go join our evil clan and watch your Australian wizard movie."</p>
<p>Harry laughed as he heaved them both off the bed, taking the opportunity to wriggle his fingers into Draco's ribs for a sly revenge tickle. The squawk from his husband and cuff around the ear reminded him that, cheesy as it was, there really <em>was </em>no place <em>quite</em> like home.</p>
<p>
  <strong>[fin]</strong>
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